Trump Signs Bill Expanding Private Care Options for Veterans

President Donald Trump participates in the signing ceremony for the VA Mission Act of 2018 in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

June 6, 2018By Jasper Fakkert

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill into law that makes it possible for veterans to see a private doctor if VA hospitals are unable to provide the care or services a veteran requires.

Situations covered under the VA Mission Act of 2018, under which veterans have access to private care, include situations in which the VA does not offer the care a veteran needs, if the distance to a VA clinic is too far, or if private care is in the best medical interest of the veteran.

“Those who serve our nation, who risk life and limb for country… must never be denied care, access, or treatment that they need. That is why we are here today and that is why we are signing this most important bill,” Trump said.

As part of the bill, the VA is required to establish and monitor the care veterans will receive in the private sector. The care will be judged by its timeliness, effectiveness of care, safety, and efficiency.

“If the VA can’t meet the needs of a veteran in a timely manner, that veteran will have the right to go right outside to a private doctor. So simple and yet so complex. This legislation also expands access to the caregiver program for seriously injured veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has for years been plagued by concerns over inadequate and slow care for veterans.

Last year, Trump signed into law the VA Accountability Act, making it easier for VA employees to be fired if they provide inadequate care.